Friction-gearing.



No. 846,592. v PATENTED MAR. 12, 19071.

' MAURER.

FRICTION GEARING.

APPLIGATIOH FILED DEU.19. 1906.

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No. 846,592. PATENTBD MAR. 12, 190?.

L. MAUREIL.

- FRICTION GBARING.

, APPLICATION FILED DEO.19. 1906.

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FRICTION-(BEARING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 12, 1907.

Application filed December 19, 1906. Serial No. 348.648.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LUDWIG MAURER, a subject of the German Emperor,residing at Nuremberg, Bavaria, Germany, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Friction-Gearing, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to friction-gearing, and has special reference togearing of this type possessing special utility as atransmission-gearing for motor-vehicles and like machines.

In certain forms of friction-gearingsuch, for instance, as thosedisclosed in my former United States applications, bearin Serial Nos.312,761 and 315,538, and fi ed, re spectively, April 20, 1906, and May7, 1906 there is a tendency to the development of one-sided or unevenstrains and also a lack of certainty that the friction-wheels will bepressed with the same or equal pressure against their respectivefriction-disks.

The present invention contemplates a construction intended to obviatethe foregoing objections by providing a centrical arran ement of thegear-shifting mechanism or throwing the gearing into and out of actionand which mechanism provides for simultaneously moving thefriction-disks in opposite directions toward and from the frictionwheelswithout changing the positions of the axes of the friction-wheels.

While the invention is necessarily susceptible to structuralmodification without departing from the scope thereof, a preferredpractical embodimentof the same is shown in the accompanying drawings,in which Figure 1 is a plan view, partly in section, showing the generalarrangement of the improved friction-gearing with the parts thereofassembled in the relation which they preferably occupy for transmissionpurposes in motor-vehicles and like machines. Fig. 2 is an enlargedlongitudinal sectional view through the end of the shiftabledrivingshaft carrying the movable friction-disk and the shiftingmechanism directly associated therewith. Fi 3 is a longitudinalsectional view throu h t e hollow end portion of the driving-shaft atright angles to the line of section of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detailcross-section view on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2.

Like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the severalfigures of the drawings.

In carrying the invention into effect there is associated with alongitudinally-shiftable driving-shaft 1 a pair of oppositely-locatedfriction-disks 2 and 3, which cooperate, respectively with theoppositely-located friction-wheels 4 and 5, mounted on thetransmission-shaft sections 6 and 7. The shaftsections 6 and 7 arearranged, respectively, at opposite sides of the shaft 1 and aresupported in any suitable bearings or bearing-supports providedtherefor; but in the present invention it is intended that the axes 6and 7 for the opposite friction-wheels 4 and 5 shall remain in fixedpositions, while the throwing of the gearing 111 and out of action isaccomplished solely through the shifting of the friction-disks 2 and 3.The said frictionwheels 4 and 5 are preferably splined or feathered upontheir respective shaft-sections, as indicated at 8, so that the same maybe adjusted axially to provide for alterations or adjustment in thetransmission ratio.

The friction-disk 2 is fast on the drivingshaft 1, so as to be shiftabletherewith, while the directly-opposite friction-disk 3 is loose on theshaft and has an independent shifting movement, while also capable ofrelative rotation. However, it is preferable in carrying out theinvention to construct the loose disk 3 with what may be termed abearing-hub extension 9 at one side to loosely receive therein thehollow end portion 10 of the shaft 1. The outer extremity of said hollowend portion of the driving -shaft is supported in an outer bearing-box11, and at an intermediate point said shaft portion 10 has secured fastthereon an abutment-collar 12, provided with an inclined bearing-facel3, opposing a corresponding reversely-inclined bearing-face '14, formedupon a resser-head 15, projected centrally from one side of thefriction-disk 3. An elastic or flexible coupling is provided between thedisk 3 and the shaft 1 through the employment of a flexiblecoupling-ring 16, secured to thedisk 3 by means of one or more U-shapedclip-bolts 17, embracing the ring and bolted to a holdingflange 18,projected from one side of the disk 3 as an integral or rigid partthereof. At a point opposite its fastened connection with the flange 18the said elastic coupling-ring 16 has a clip-bolt connection 19 withaconnecting-arm 20, having a rigid connection with the fastabutment-collar 12 on the hollow end portion 10 of the shaft 1.

The reversely-inclined bearing-faces 13 and 14 of the collar 12 and head15 are adapted to be engaged by the double-beveled ends 21 of a pair ofoppositely-arranged wedgeblocks 22, arranged crosswise of the hollowshaft portion 1 0 and operating through guideslots 24, formed indiametrically opposite sides of said shaft portion 10. The inner endportions of the blocks 22 are held within the carrying-fork 25 of anoperating-plunger 26 and are formed with inclined faces 27, engaged bythe inclined sides of an actuatingwedge 28. This wedge 28 is securedfast within the fork 25 of the plunger 26 and is disposed longitudinallythereof, as plainly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. 22 are looselymounted.

The operating-plunger 26 slides longitudinally within the hollow portion10 and is provided thereon with guiding and holding collars 29, whichsteady and support the plunger within the shaft. The outer end of theplunger has a rotatable swivel connection 30 with one end of a rockinglever 31, which in turn has a suitable controlling-rod connection 32therewith.

Referring to the action of the mechanism, it will be observed that uponthe retraction of the plunger 26 the blocks 22 are carried against oneend of the slots 24 and against the collar 12, and simultaneously thewedge 28 is moved between the camming-blocks. The consequent result isto simultaneously draw upon the shaft 1 in one direction and thrust theblocks 22 outward, causing the loose friction-disk 3 to be moved in anopposite direction. Hence the two friction-disks 2 and 3 aresimultaneously moved against their respective friction-wheels 4 and 5simultaneously and with even pressure. The disengagement of thefriction-disks is effected automatically upon release of pressure fromthe plunger26 by means of a releasespring 33, interposed between a fastcollar 34 on the shaft 1 and a collar or shoulder 35 on the hub portion9 of the loose disk 3. It will therefore be observed that theconstruction described allows a simultaneous and uniform engagement ofthe friction-disks, while the steadiness of the torque transmitted isinsured by the insertion of the elastic coupling.

I claim 1. In a friction-gearing, the combination with a pair offriction-wheels, of a longitudi nally-shiftable driving-shaft, a fastand a loose friction-disk mounted on said shaft,

The blocks and a gear-shifting mechanism comprising 2. In afriction-gearing, the combination with a pair of friction-wheels, of alongitudinally-shiftable driving-shaft, fast and loose friction-disksmounted on said shaft, a release-spring arranged to normally move thefriction-disks away from the friction-wheels, an elastic couplingbetween the loose disk and the shaft, and a shifting mechanismcomprising means for simultaneously moving the shaft and the loose diskin opposite directions.

3. In a friction-gearing, the combination with the friction-wheels, of alongitudinallyshiftable driving-shaft having a hollow end portion, fastand loose friction-disks mounted on the shaft, an elastic couplingbetween the loose disk and the shaft, and a shifting mechanismcentrically arranged within the hollow shaft portion and having wedgedevices for simultaneously moving the shaft and the loose disk inopposite directions.

4. In a friction-gearing, the combination with the friction-wheels, of alongitudinallyshiftable driving-shaft having a hollow end portionprovided with side guideslots, fast and loose friction-disks mounted onthe shaft, the loose disk having a presser-head, a fast abutment-collaron the driving-shaft, a reciprocal operating-plunger working in saidhollow shaft portion and provided with a carrying-fork, a pair ofopposite wedgeblocks carried in the said fork and projecting throughsaid guide-slots for engagement between and against said abutment-collarand presserhead, an actuating-wedge also carried by the fork of theplunger and operating between said blocks, and a release-springinterposed between the driving-shaft and the loose disk for moving saidelements in opposite directions.

In testimony whereof the said LUDWIG MAURER has signed his name to thisspecification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 28thday of November, 1906.

LUDWIG MAURER. Witnesses:

J OIIANN STELZER, HEINRICH DYNNEBIER.

